A TRIP TO THE MOON. 273 



emperor and the empire of Germany suffered to starve, 

 obtained one of the most brilliant mountains for his 

 share; and Tycho, Copernicus, Hipparchus and Albateg- 

 nius are his neighbors in those regions, though tolerably 

 far apart on earth, in point of time, country, and relig- 

 ion. Even Humboldt has already his possessions in the 

 moon. 



Nothing strikes the general observer so much, when his 

 eye rambles inquiringly over the surface of the moon, 

 as the incredible variety of light in different parts. Some 

 have sought the cause of this striking phenomenon in the 

 diversity of the soil, ascribing to the darker portions a 

 looser earth, and perceiving in the greenish sheen of some 

 plains even traces of vegetation. Doubtful as it must 

 needs be, whether any color could be distinguished at such 

 a distance, this is certain, that the lighter portions repre- 

 sent rigid masses and reflecting elevations. A most strange 

 sensation is produced by the long beams of dazzling light, 

 resembling liquid silver, which, now isolated and now 

 united together into broad bands of rays, pass in count- 

 less hosts over whole, large regions. They often centre 

 in some peculiarly brilliant, circular mountain, and the 

 gigantic Tycho sends his rays of surpassing splendor over 

 more than one-fourth of the whole orb, over hill and dale, 

 valley and mountain. At other places they form broad 

 masses of mystic light, often twenty miles square. Moun- 

 tain ridges or lava streams they are not, though formerly 

 the world believed them such, because they pass over the 

 very tops of mountains. Can they be glassy or crys- 

 tallized masses of volcanic material, which, suddenly cooled, 

 12* 



